title: Improvement of psychometric properties of the objective structured clinical examination when assessing problem solving skills of surgical clerkship.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve the psychometric properties of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and elevate staff motivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The OSCE was conducted in May 2006 at the Department of Surgery, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a pilot study for 95 students split over 2 consecutive days lasting 120 minutes each day. There were 15 actual stations on each day consisting of 10 stations that addressed problem solving skills, and 5 addressed clinical skills testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The stability of the OSCE measured by Cronbach's alpha on day one was 0.87, and 0.88 on day 2. The internal consistency of the OSCE measured by Carmine's theta on day one was 0.76, and 0.79 on day 2. Overall, OSCE's reliability for each day was high (r=0.8), without a significant difference between the 2 days. Credibility and comprehensiveness of the the OSCE were considered good by both staff and students. Accuracy of the OSCE measured by Pearson's correlation with multiple choice question scores was 0.65. Feasibility of the OSCE has also improved remarkably compared with previous OSCEs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OSCE proved to be highly reliable, and a valid format when more problem solving skills testing has been emphasized for the final year surgical clerkship. Feasibility has also improved remarkably after using this strategy, marked by more staff participation and enthusiasm.
authors.affiliation: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Program, King Saud University, and the Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery #37, King Saud University, PO Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. mohammed_alnaami@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mohammed Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Al-Naami
authors.forename: Omer F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: El-Tinay
authors.forename: Gamal A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Khairy
authors.forename: Safdar S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mofti
authors.forename: Muhammad N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Anjum
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D013502:General Surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011340:Problem Solving; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D000078329:Workforce